If you aren't Irish, the background to this story is that Ireland played a football game against France to see who would go forward to the World Cup finals. A French player admitted deliberately using his hand to stop the football going wide of the goal and the French then scored and won as a result of this foul. It wasn't seen by the ref (thus the spoof opticians advert) and it has now blown up into an International political argument...

"FRENCH President Nicolas Sarkozy has apologised to Ireland after their national football team was deprived of a World Cup berth by a goal that should not have been awarded.

Video replays showed striker Thierry Henry used his hand twice in the build-up to a William Gallas goal in extra time that sent France to next summer's World Cup finals in South Africa"

What's happened to French defiance? When Zidane was sent off in the World Cup final three years ago for headbutting an opponent, President Chirac described the event simply as a Frenchman expressing himself... Do we see a cultural shift?

I'm thinking if they are truly sorry and the goal should not have been awarded....then perhaps they should relinquish the victory to Ireland. Sounds more like an apology they got caught cheating to win? :)